After becoming the first Tiger to be ejected from a game for targeting Saturday, senior linebacker Deion Jones has accepted his mistake as a learning experience and will spend his half-game suspension against Syracuse University cheering on the rotation that will take his place.
When he raced toward Auburn junior quarterback Jeremy Johnson with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of LSU’s 45-21 victory against Auburn, Jones said he wasn’t trying to injure him, but he understood why the referee made the targeting call that led to his ejection.
“I don’t intentionally plan on hurting anybody,” Jones said. “I was just trying to make a play on the ball. My hat got a little high, and the referee made a great call. … I can’t be mad at anybody for doing their job.”
Since the ejection was added to the 15-yard penalty in 2013, Jones said LSU coach Les Miles has placed a premium on teaching his defensive players to tackle correctly and avoid the targeting calls by sending close plays to the NCAA head of officiating for analysis.
Jones jokingly said he will be added to the “teach tape.”
After leading the Tigers with 20 tackles through their first two games, Jones said he can’t wait to get on the field for the second half against Syracuse. And he will put himself to use during the first half by cheering on his teammates.
While Jones looks on from the sidelines, fierce competition for his starting spot leaves the lineup uncertain.
“It’s going to be good,” said junior linebacker Duke Riley. “I don’t know if it will be me for sure. It could be me. It could be [sophomore Donnie Alexander], [senior Lamar Louis]. It could be anyone of us. Whoever it is will continue to go out there and play with great effort.”
Secondary veterans excited to play Syracuse No matter what the situation, there is always excitement surrounding something new.
Junior cornerback Tre’Davious White and sophomore safety Jamal Adams have seen it all from humid Saturday nights in the Swamp to the Aggie Yells at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
But both will face a new challenge against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Saturday: an indoor stadium.
“It’s going to be our first time playing in an indoor stadium,” White said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s a different type of opponent [a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference]. We’re going to up there and perform well.”
Although the trip to New York will be a first for White, Adams is looking forward to the trip for an entirely different reason — reconnecting with family.
Adams is expecting to have the rare opportunity to play in front of his extended family, who are based in New York, if they can get off work.
“If so, then you’ll see a lot of them there,” Adams said. “I definitely want them to come, but you know how work is. Sometimes, it’s kind of busy, especially in New York. They don’t get to come down and see me. I haven’t seen them in a couple years. For them to come to my game, that would be awesome.”